Songs

"Deep In The Meadow" (also known as "Rue's Lullaby") is a song that is sung by Katniss to Rue, who was on her deathbed after Marvel speared her in the stomach. Rue's last request was to hear Katniss sing. Upon hearing this, Katniss did not know what to sing. She remembered a lullaby that she would sing to Prim when she was ill. The words are easy, soothing, and calming. It can be found in The Hunger Games and at the end of Mockingjay.

It is also used in the unofficial short film, Hunger Games: Katniss & Rue.

Deep in the meadow, under the willowA bed of grass, a soft green pillowLay down your head, and close your sleepy eyesAnd when you awake, the sun will rise.

Here it's safe, here it's warmHere the daisies guard you from harmHere your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them trueHere is the place where I love you.

Official version of Rue's Lullaby, performed by Sting (released as downloadable bonus track)

This song was taught to Katniss Everdeen by her father, Mr. Everdeen, when she was young. Her mother, Mrs. Everdeen heard her singing the song and watched Prim making necklaces of rope to go with it with Katniss. Fearful, Mrs. Everdeen yelled at Mr. Everdeen, who told Katniss to forget the song lyrics. This caused Katniss to run into the meadow under a tree crying, and of course remembered every word of the song. After Mr. Everdeen's death, the song played itself over and over in Katniss's head.
When she was younger she didn't know what it meant, but eventually she understood that the person singing the song was a dead man calling for his lover to come join him in death. Before her mother banned it, Katniss and Prim made rope necklaces like in the song. It meant that a life of torture must have not been worth living. At one point in revelation, Katniss really understands what this means, because she knows that being tortured by the Capitol is a much worse fate than death. Katniss sings this to Pollux after she plays with the mockingjays, which brought him to tears. This song is mentioned many times throughout Mockingjay. An official version has been recorded for Mockingjay Part 1.

Are you, Are youComing to the treeWhere they strung up a man they say murdered threeStrange things did happen hereNo stranger would it beIf we met up at midnight in the hanging tree

Are you, Are youComing to the treeWhere the dead man called out for his love to fleeStrange things did happen hereNo stranger would it beIf we met up at midnight in the hanging tree

Are you, Are youComing to the treeWhere I told you to run, so we'd both be freeStrange things did happen hereNo stranger would it beIf we met up at midnight in the hanging tree.

Are you, Are youComing to the treeWear a necklace of rope, side by side with me.Strange things did happen here,No stranger would it be,If we met up at midnight in the hanging tree.

The Valley Song is mentioned in the first Hunger Games book by Peeta in the caves, saying how he remembers Katniss singing this song at school. It is most likely a reference to an old folk song, "Down in the Valley." It goes something like this: